Sugar: The bitter truth!

Conditioning Research: Lustig - Sugar the bitter truth

In a nutshell for those who are not familiar with what eating sugary foods does to the body and the effects it has on OBESITY in MEN, WOMEN & CHILDREN please read on . . . . .

Our body has 2 hormones that have to work TOGETHER to transport fuel to the muscle to be used for energy, Insulin & Glucagon. (lets think of them as 2 taxi drivers)

When blood glucose gets too high the pancreas works hard to regulate this spike by releasing insulin and other regulating hormones. When this happens, our other taxi driver glucagon can't transport fat to the muscle for energy. 

  
Glucose will be brought to the liver and muscles to replenish glycogen used during exercise. Excessive blood glucose can also be taken up by fat cells and stored as adipose (fat) tissue!



GLYCEMIC INDEX
Depending on the speed of conversion to glucose, all carbs can be placed on a scale between 0 and 100. This scale is known as the Glycemic Index (G.I.)


Complex Carbs = Slow releasing = Low G.I. 

Brown Rice

Potatoes

Other root vegetables

Wholemeal breads

Granary bread

Simple Carbs = Faster releasing = High G.I.


Table Sugar
Fruit Juice
Sweets
Bread made with white flour
Pasta made with white flour



We only want an increase in blood sugar straight after training and not, for example, on a non-gym day when there is simply no need for a massive sugar rush!
 Stick to the complex carbs and maybe post workout quick release food to replenish the energy quickly!

 I want to use white bread as an example. This highly processed food is high G.I., low in fibre, proteins and good fats - boo!


White bread ----> Easy to eat - - -> Digested quickly - - -> Sugar spike - - -> Insulin released - - -> Excess energy stored as fat - - ->  Sugar levels drop - - -> Carb cravings - - -> Cycle repeats - - -> Fat gain! 

Oils

So as I'm sure many of you are aware that our bodies need Essential Fatty Acids (EFA'S) or maybe not?

EFA'S are called ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS because they are necessary for life!

Our bodys cannot make EFA's for itself unfortunatley, nor can it store them so it is mega important that we get them in our daily diet! (and people when I say diet - I don't mean we are starving ourselves, I just mean our general food intake!)

There are four basic types of fat that the body takes from food: cholesterol, saturated fat, monounsaturated fat and polyunsaturated essential fatty acids. The polyunsaturated essential fatty acids are the one's the body uses to build itself.

Omega 3, Omega 6 & Omega 9

In addition to providing energy, Essential Fatty Acids are part of the structure of every cell in our bodies. We need them to achieve & maintain a healthy heart; but they are also essential for a healthy brain, for healthy function of other organs, eyes, skin, joints, hair & immune system.

For anyone that actually gives a toss about what they feed themselves and whats in our grub then I'm going to tell you that this is the "Rolls Royce" of oil blends. Aside from the post workout protein shake, the only supplement I take is this baby here Udo's Choice. A friend told me about it and I now drink it like my dad necking a pint of Tennants. You soon get used to the taste. Couple of mouth fulls a day and your good to go! :)

Berryfit's top 10 gym tunes . . .

In no particular order . . .

1. Eminem - Till I Collapse
2. Tiesto - Adagio For Strings
3. Eurotrash - Get Up Get Down
4. System F - Out Of The Blue
5. Beastie Boys - Sabotage
6. Korn - Freak On A Leash
7. Rocky - Heart's On Fire
8. Pantera - Cowboys From Hell
9. Limp Bizkit - Faith
10. Verecocha - Carte Blanche


Feel free to post any of your own gym music. It always helps when you get new music for your ipod/mp3 player. Much appreciated!! Hope you like my choices. A fine selection if I do say so myself, BOOM!

Newbies?

Ok, so I've been training a few people that have never set foot in a gym before, EVER!
  I was chatting to a woman and she nearly broke down in tears in front of me she was that nervous, God love her. That's serious stuff like. I mean, I remember the 1st time I set foot in a gym, it's scary biscuits.

  
  But at the end of the day we are all there for one reason or another, whether it's to lose weight, feel good about ourselves or better our health . . the list goes on.
 YOU have as much right to be there as anybody else in the gym. So next time you walk in, get changed, get the tunes pumpin and have a great workout. Don't be shy :)

Stocking up for the winter!

Well not only do Fitness First provide you with GREAT membership deals, GREAT service and GREAT personal trainers, they also encourage us to stay active!Certainly one of the more popular ways amongst us to "keep fit" :)

Supermarket domination?

What's your opinion?

I mean don't get me wrong, I still go to supermarkets for bits and bobs but these billion dollar companies like Tesco, Asda, Sainsburys just seem to be popping up all over the show. Not to mention they are all English!!

Back in the mid 80's there would have been typically a few butchers, fruit and veg and bakeries lined the streets. Now we have very little.

Tesco's opened up a supermarket in Crumlin down the street from my cousin's butcher shop. Thankfully no damage has been done. Tesco's 'meat display' looks something like Lady Ga Ga would wear on a night out . . . needless to say the meat is crap at best. They don't hang the meat to give it maturity or flavour. They pre pack it and fire it out on the shelves and I can guarantee the meat will be as tough as old boots. Anyhow - my rant is over. I urge you to support your local farmers/butchers and tradesmen as Tesco would say . . . "Every little bit helps!"

I mean if that doesn't make you hungry I don't know what will!

Developing Good Sleep Habits

I can't stand it when I wake up feeling tired! I'm certainly a person that needs their rest!

This is a common factor with people of all age groups. It is an article I stumbled upon and is worth reading!

“Think in the morning. Act in the noon. Eat in the evening. Sleep in the night.” ~William Blake

I believe that Blake’s quote is profound advice for living. Once you have your sleep environment properly set, it is time to address your sleep routines and rituals.

Do’s:

Go to bed the same time every night. Even if you're sleepy, stay on schedule. The more your body is on “rhythm” the easier it will be to fall asleep and wake up. Keep a sleep journal to document your hours and be able to review your patterns. (If you can document your training, you can do this, too!)

Have a “pre-sleep” routine. This can include reading, soft music, mentally planning out the next day, or even deep breathing. Turning the lights low or even wearing sunglasses in the house thirty minutes before bed can jump start the sleep process.

Have a light snack before bed. A glass of milk and peanut butter sandwich can be a simple and quick meal to give you the protein and carbs your body needs to get to bed. To get a little more technical (and less tasty to some) some sliced turkey and cottage cheese can deliver the L-tryptophan and slowly digested protein that can get you off to bed and supplied during sleep.

Improve your supplement closet. In addition to the potential effects of supplement classics like melatonin and valerian root, making sure you're not deficient in magnesium and zinc (found in ZMA may also help with a restful night sleep. Another supplement to look into is arginine.

Don’ts:

Don’t oversleep. A few days in a row of this can confuse your sleep schedule.

Don’t use caffeine (up to 8-10 hours before sleep), alcohol (which can disrupt sleep patterns), cigarettes (stimulant), and sleeping pills.

Don’t nap. And if you do need to lie down on the couch for a snooze during the day, keep it under 25 minutes.

Don’t train within three hours of bedtime. (Jacking up your nervous and cardiovascular system will make it nearly impossible for your body to shut down and get restful sleep).

“There will be enough time for sleeping in the grave.” ~Benjamin Franklin

Most athletes look at training and nutrition with such detail, but merely gloss over sleep. To reach your full potential (in body and mind), you must embrace the art of sleeping as much as you have the art of training.

Most of us recognize the things that lead to bad sleep habits, but are you really doing anything about it? Make no mistake: you are the result of the behaviors you maintain. So make some of the behavioral changes listed above and your life—not to mention your physique—will improve.

If, however, you subscribe to the Franklin quote above and miss too much sleep, that time in the grave might just be sooner than later.